How to Transform a Cigar Box into a Purse

There are many great ideas out there for making accessories. Last year I discovered a great way to make a purse out of a cigar box. Actually it could be a purse, a cigar box, a jewelry box or a box to put gifts in for gift giving. It all starts with an old cigar box or a small wooden pre-made cigar box which you can purchase at any craft store. You can add a handle on the top if you would like just using a few screws and supplies you can buy at the craft store. They sell purse handles at any craft store or you could be creative and use some fancy ribbon to create a handle. Some cigar boxes already come with a handle attached.

Now that you have the box its time to customize it. You can use paints, and all kind of things. I choose to use my old magazines that I have lying around the house. I keep all of my magazines for projects like this. It's my own way of recycling them. I did several different designs. On the one I am going to picture here I looked through the magazines and picked the colors that I liked and pulled all of the pages that had a large representation of that color. After I had quite a few I began my favorite part, the cutting. I cut everything into small triangle shapes, you could choose whatever shapes or colors you would like. I kept the triangles in order by color to make it a little easier when applying them.

Next you are going to want to get some podge glue to apply the shapes to your box. Start with the corners and outer edges to get everything lined up evenly. Then just start applying the triangles in any pattern you would like, letting them overlap so that none of the box is exposed. You want to put the glue all over the piece then you can use a sponge brush to even out any wrinkles that form while applying the shapes. The glue will also leave a nice sheen finish to the box. Have fun with this you can give the box any look you would like.

These cigar boxes make great gifts. People love gifts that are homemade and you can personalize them to fit any of your friend's styles. They are inexpensive and easy to make. Plus you can have lots of fun making the boxes. This is a project that anyone can complete.